A debut, a milestone, and a battle: Arsenal edge past London City | OneFootball

Arsenal returned to winning ways with a 2-0 victory over London City Lionesses, bouncing back from their Subway Cup disappointment.

A debut, a milestone goal, and crucial squad rotation shaped a hard-fought match ahead of the North London Derby and a demanding fixture list.

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Following their midweek Subway Cup semi-final setback, Arsenal returned to winning ways with a 2-0 victory over London City Lionesses, courtesy of goals from Laia Codina and Stina Blackstenius, who netted her 50th goal for the club.

The starting XI featured a surprise inclusion, as Jenna Nighswonger made her Arsenal debut in central midfield, partnering Kyra Cooney-Cross in the double pivot.

Renee Slegers rotated her squad, with several players clearly fatigued after a relentless fixture schedule.

The team lined up as follows: Manu Zinsberger; Katie Reid, Lotte Wubben-Moy, Laia Codina, Katie McCabe; Kyra Cooney-Cross, Jenna Nighswonger; Caitlin Foord, Frida Maanum, Mariona Caldentey; Alessia Russo.

Pitch at London City Lionesses being watered before the Arsenal match (photo copyright Sylvain Jamet)

The bench was notably defensive-heavy, featuring two goalkeepers—Daphne van Domselaar and Naomi Williams—alongside four defenders, Emily Fox, Leah Williamson, Steph Catley, and Amanda Ilestedt. Lia Wälti was the sole midfield option, with Stina Blackstenius the only available forward.

In an unusual twist, Teyah Goldie, on loan at London City Lionesses, was permitted to play, whereas Freya Godfrey, also on loan, was ineligible. The discrepancy stemmed from the terms of their respective loan agreements: Goldie’s season-long loan was arranged last summer without the expectation of facing LCL in a cup tie, whereas Godfrey’s deal was structured with this match in mind, leading to her exclusion.

London City Lionesses’ manager confirmed the club intends to make a permanent bid for Goldie when her loan expires at the end of the season, praising her performances and development. However, he acknowledged it would be difficult to prise her away from Arsenal.

The match itself proved challenging, played on a poor pitch against a well-drilled London City Lionesses side that demonstrated they could compete in the WSL.

Arsenal coped admirably despite playing their seventh game in 21 days, with fatigue beginning to take a toll. Slegers addressed the physical toll on her squad: “I think our last two games haven’t been our best, but they also come at the back end of a really intense block where we’ve demanded a lot from the players.”

Sunday’s game was a more manageable contest compared to Thursday’s, as the opposition was not as strong, allowing Arsenal to impose themselves and utilise Russo more effectively.

Avoiding injuries was crucial, and with a full week to prepare for the North London Derby, Slegers will hope to see more attacking and midfield reinforcements return to the squad in time for next Sunday’s clash.

The Women’s FA Cup quarter-final draw takes place tomorrow, 11 February, with the ball numbers as follows:

Meanwhile, the UEFA Women’s Champions League quarter-final dates have been confirmed, with Arsenal set to face Real Madrid away on 18 March, before hosting the return leg at the Emirates Stadium on 26 March.

This marks the beginning of another demanding period, with Arsenal set to play seven matches between 2 and 30 March. With an international break looming, Slegers will hope her players return unscathed as the squad braces for yet another intense run of fixtures.